Systems have been developed for packaging various building-panel products. However, known systems suffer from various drawbacks, e.g., they can be expensive, cumbersome, or wasteful. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,878 to Simpson et al. discloses a package for stacked roof panels requiring support elements.
Siding panels for mounting to houses and like structures, which may be made from vinyl or metal, are typically packaged in cardboard boxes, such as corrugated kraft linerboard boxes. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,620 to Boltz et al. Accessories, such as J-channels, F-channels, finish trims, corner posts, and starter strips, which are adapted for mounting to houses and like structures in association with the building panels, are likewise packaged in cardboard boxes. Typically, the boxes of building panels and accessories are stacked onto long wooden skids or pallets, framed with wood slats, and wrapped with a polymeric film material.
Other ways of packaging siding panels have been developed, but still suffer disadvantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,367 to Lynch discloses a packaging system employing frame elements and compressible members.
The typical packaging cost as a percentage of the overall cost of building-panel products is quite significant. This is especially true with regard to vinyl siding products. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a more cost-effective manner for packaging building-panel products.